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Bell: Playing with pain is part of NFL playoff push

IRVING, Texas -- Dez Bryant skipped through the locker room, literally, as if he didn't have a worry in the world. At the end of a trying week when off-the-field issues related to the death of Dallas Cowboys

IRVING, Texas — Dez Bryant skipped through the locker room, literally, as if he didn't have a worry in the world. At the end of a trying week when off-the-field issues related to the death of Dallas Cowboys practice squad linebacker Jerry Brown met head-on with football matters that include Bryant's broken left index finger, the flamboyant wide receiver bounced with youthful exuberance.

It seemed contagious. People were poking at Bryant from all directions.

You won't find a soul in the Cowboys locker room who doubts that Bryant won't carry his gung-ho vibe into Sunday's pivotal match against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Cowboys Stadium, a crucial game pitting 7-6 teams.

"I'm not worried about him," said Vickers, a man who has six of his fingers broken. "I know what type of player he is. It's not enough for him to be good. He wants to be great. And you have to play through these things to be great in this league."

Especially when your team needs you. We've heard so much about safety and long-term health of NFL players, but despite such heightened awareness, not much has changed about a culture that demands players strap it up when it matters most.

"Didn't Ronnie Lott cut off part of his finger in order to play?" said Calvin Hill, the 1970's-era running back who serves as a Cowboys consultant.

Hill once played several games with a broken foot as a rookie, then wound up spending more than a month in the hospital after the season when the foot became infected. For all of the ways pro athletes have evolved over generations, Hill says a basic instinct and desire to play, fueled by competitive urges, remains intact.

"You look at his eyes when he's on that football field," Hill says. "He loves the game."

Bryant, officially listed as questionable, has squashed the question of whether he will suit up after increasing his practice load as the week progressed. The team's trainers went into the weekend tinkering with ways to best protect the finger, but it will be only so comfortable for a player whose effectiveness is so dependent on his hands.

He says the biggest challenge will be dealing with the pain, which goes hand-in-hand with being able to function — catching hot spirals, extending his arm on blocks and stiff-arms, breaking his fall to the turf, securing the football and the like.

"Can't think about it," Bryant maintains. "I'm telling you, it's a mental thing. If you start believing you can't do it, you can't do it. If you believe you can do it, you can do it."

When the week began, Bryant thought his season might be finished. He broke the finger during the fourth quarter of the comeback victory against the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday — before his 27-yard touchdown catch made it a two-point game. Surgery is coming but not now. Not with the Cowboys trying to make a mad dash to the playoffs.

Two doctors that Bryant visited concurred that he could delay surgery.

"Before I found out, I was kind of down," he said. "Now I am back to me."

Bryant's case is not unlike the physical issues facing hundreds of players across the league, particularly at this point in the season. But his situation undeniably has a higher profile, in part because of his emergence as a dominant receiver in recent weeks. He has scored a TD in five consecutive games and since Week 10 has an NFL-high seven TD grabs.

"Obviously, our team's better with him out on the field," tight end Jason Witten says.

Sunday, the Steelers bring the NFL's No. 1 defense to town and Witten says that Bryant can perhaps make a bigger difference with his work on underneath routes than with his threat for big, explosive plays downfield.

"We're going to have to move the chains," Witten said. "This defense, they don't give up a lot of throws."

Still, this would be a week to test that assumption. Pittsburgh's top corner, Ike Taylor, is out with an ankle injury, and backup Cortez Allen is iffy because of a knee injury. Bryant and fellow receiver Miles Austin could get extensive matchups against Curtis Brown, who struggled in Pittsburgh's loss last weekend against the San Diego Chargers.

Says Witten, "It's a chess match."

And also a test of will. Witten began this season under scrutiny as he quickly returned from a lacerated spleen and played in Week 1. He hasn't missed a game. Bryant acknowledged that he drew inspiration from the manner in which Witten and quarterback Tony Romo, who had broken ribs last season, played through injuries.

"We don't put any undue pressure on anybody to do something that they can't," Romo said. "A lot of it isn't just pain. It's can you function to the ability to help the team more than the guy who'd come in behind you."

Witten's take?

"I think with any injury, when you make that decision to go, you've got to go," he said.

Bryant remembers a stretched knee ligament he suffered during his sophomore season at Oklahoma State as the most painful injury he has played through. He lasted until the fourth quarter.

"I went and played until I couldn't play any more," he said.

It taught him something about his pain tolerance that he will draw on Sunday — like so many of his peers around the league.

"I know what I can handle," he says, "and I know what I can't."

***

Also in play for Week 15:

Who's hot: Adrian Peterson

Seven consecutive 100-yard games. Another NFL rushing title in sight. A sixth consecutive season with 10 TDs, matching LaDainian Tomlinson as the only players in NFL history to achieve that in their first six seasons. In the company of Jim Brown and O.J. Simpson as the only players ever to average 6 yards a carry, with double-digit TDs and 1,600 yards through 13 games. And the Vikings stud heads into Sunday's pivotal game at St. Louis carrying his team's playoff hopes on his back. Then there's the knee. Peterson is producing this remarkable season less than a year after having reconstructive surgery on his left knee. Hot, indeed.

Two weeks ago, the Ravens were 9-2 and holding the slot for the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs. Now they are in crisis mode. Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron was fired Monday, the reins turned over to ex-Colts coach Jim Caldwell — who hasn't called plays since his days at Wake Forest. This turns the heat up a notch on Flacco to lead an inconsistent offense that was being counted on to take the load off a once-dominant defense that is in decline —and couldn't hold fourth-quarter leads in back-to-back losses. Was Cameron the problem? Or the scapegoat? Sure, Ray Rice didn't get a single touch in the fourth quarter of a Week 13 loss to Pittsburgh under Cameron's watch. But Flacco, with an 87.1 passer rating (18 TDs, nine interceptions), hasn't taken the next step to become an "elite" quarterback after coming one dropped pass away from the Super Bowl last season. The debate will get a new backdrop Sunday. Peyton Manning and the red-hot Broncos come to M&T Bank Stadium, standing in the way of Baltimore's opportunity to clinch the AFC North title with a victory. And it could also weigh into the equation of determining Flacco's value with talks for a new contract on the horizon.

At this rate, Maya calendar or not, the Colts' new franchise quarterback might set the NFL's record for most career fourth-quarter comeback victories around 2020. Luck has produced six victories this season after trailing in the fourth quarter or extended to overtime — most in a season by a rookie quarterback since the 1970 merger — which says so much about his composure in crunchtime and Indianapolis' emergence as a surprising playoff contender. Last weekend, the Colts rallied from a 13-point deficit against Tennessee. Before that, the last-second TD job at Detroit. Who does he think he is, Peyton Manning? It's notable that Manning, the man who was replaced by the No. 1 overall pick, has an NFL-record 48 fourth-quarter comeback/overtime wins on his resume. It's also notable that it took Manning 15 seasons to surpass Dan Marino's mark (47). Maybe the Colts will progress to the point where they are putting games away in the fourth quarter rather than dashing to the finish, but their resilient style this season — with Luck as triggerman — seems so fitting as coach Chuck Pagano aims for his own comeback while battling leukemia.

Key matchup: Brandon Marshall v. Tramon Williams

One of the most intriguing subplots for the Packers-Bears clash that could determine the NFC North crown revolves around Marshall, who leads the NFL with 101 receptions and has been targeted 51 times over the past three games. Yes, he would be Jay Cutler's favorite receiver. Yet Marshall has also added spice this week with his choice words. He dislikes the Packers and says it's personal. Marshall also says he's had the game marked on his calendar since Green Bay shut him down in Week 2, limiting him to a season-low two catches (the 49ers also held him to two receptions) on five targets. Williams was the man in Marshall's pocket when Green Bay handled the Bears at Lambeau, and he intercepted two passes while the men up front brought the heat on a night that Cutler was sacked seven times, took four additional hits and chewed out left tackle J'Marcus Webb. Remember, that was after Cutler had taunted the Packers secondary with pregame trash talk, wishing them "good luck" in handling Marshall and Alshon Jeffery. That sentiment goes both ways, with the Packers winning five consecutive games in the series and Williams figured to shadow Marshall again. Marshall, who has 1,342 yards and nine TDs, is coming off back-to-back 10-catch games. He blistered the Vikings for 160 yards last weekend, after stinging the Seahawks for 165 yards. But the Bears lost both games.

Next man up x 2: Jeremy Lane and Byron Maxwell

All of a sudden, the Seahawks — with the NFL's fourth-ranked pass defense — are light at cornerback as they head into Sunday's game in Toronto to face the Bills. Right corner Brandon Browner began his four-game suspension last week for using a banned substance (Adderall). Nickel back Marcus Trufant will miss a second consecutive game with a hamstring injury. And Walter Thurmond, who replaced Browner last week, will miss Sunday's game with his own hamstring issue. Richard Sherman is still on the field, but that's pending his appeal for testing positive for a banned substance. Enter Lane and Maxwell, a pair of sixth-round picks from the past two drafts who have primarily played on special teams until now. Lane is a rookie from Northwestern State (La.); Maxwell played at Clemson. One will line up at right corner, the other as the nickel back, and they might be interchanged pending matchups and the flow of the game. Coach Pete Carroll is keeping specifics under wraps. But both will play extensively, and the Seahawks have to be encouraged that they both played about 40 plays last week and didn't get beat deep to contribute to a shutout victory. They held up. Now comes another test.

Reality check: The G-Men are coming

With a share of the NFL's best record, the Falcons (11-2) have clinched the NFC South title and have their sights on capturing the No. 1 seed for the playoffs. A victory against the Giants on Sunday at the Georgia Dome (where the Birds are 6-0 this season) coupled with losses by Green Bay and San Francisco would sew up home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. A win plus a loss by either the Packers or 49ers nails down a first-round bye. So they are close. But so many of their results this season have been close, too, adding to the questions about their playoff readiness. Atlanta has won seven games by seven points or fewer and surely didn't have the look of playing its best football at the right time of the season when falling behind 23-0 before losing at Carolina last weekend. Maybe they are bored. This season was always going to be defined by what the Falcons do in January, given that with Mike Smith coaching and Matt Ryan playing quarterback they've made the playoffs three times in four seasons and were one-and-done in all three cases. Now come the Giants, who eliminated the Falcons at the Meadowlands last January with a 24-2 stomping. A vivid memory from that contest was Atlanta's inability to get a yard when it really needed to. Ryan was twice stuffed on fourth-and-1 sneaks deep in Giants territory, and another drive went kaput when Michael Turner was dumped for a loss on third-and-1. It will be interesting to see what the Falcons come up with in short-yardage scenarios this time around. Regardless, the Falcons can use a smashing rebound for their psyche. They usually bounce back well under Smith, winning 11 consecutive games after losses and going 19-3 overall following setbacks. This time, they can also send a message to the NFL and the Giants — and perhaps deal a blow that helps prevent a playoff rematch — that this season's playoff run will have a different ending.

My road to Super Bowl XLVII goes through…Dallas

I've got a hunch that there will be an army of Steelers fans at Cowboys Stadium on Sunday, where the home team really doesn't possess much of a home-field advantage. The last time I was at Cowboys Stadium, Bears fans took over the joint. This is what happens when there is no limit on how many tickets can be sold at a palace that can accommodate more than 100,000, with standing-room only spots on the plaza in the equation. Yet the Cowboys have also had trouble protecting their home turf in the most essential way -- on the turf. Since the place was opened in 2009, the Cowboys are 17-14 at home. In any event, desperation will be in the house on Sunday with the Cowboys and Steelers -- who lost in Super Bowl XLV in their last appearance at Jerryworld -- both toting 7-6 records. Which team's playoff hopes would be most damaged by a loss? The home team, for sure. The Steelers close out against the Bengals and the Browns, and beating Cincinnati would give them the tiebreaker edge against the team that it could be pitted against for the final playoff spot (provided Baltimore doesn't finish with a five-game losing streak). So there's a clear path to the playoffs for the Steelers, even with a loss. The Cowboys, though, need the Giants to stumble (possible) and would be best-served by a winner-take-all contest in the regular-season finale at Washington. Dallas trails Washington (see what that home loss on Turkey Day did), Seattle and Chicago in the wild-card race -- and the scenarios for breaking a tie are not favorable. Seattle and Chicago won head-to-head matchups against the Cowboys. That Monday night home loss to the Bears in October could definitely come back to haunt Dallas.

Did you notice?

It has been 40 years since the 1972 Miami Dolphins produced the only perfect season in NFL history with their 17-0 campaign capped by a victory in Super Bowl VII. This is reunion weekend, with the Dolphins hosting the Jaguars on Sunday and so many members of Don Shula's '72 squad coming back for another victory lap. The franchise will also induct former defensive coordinator Bill Arnsparger into the Dolphin Honor Roll, making the architect of the "No Name Defense" the first assistant coach so recognized. It's a nice touch. Coaches who primarily make their mark as assistants don't get much love when it comes to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but Arnsparger certainly deserves consideration. He helped Miami win back-to-back Super Bowls. In a later stint with the Dolphins, he coordinated the "Killer B's" defense. He's also the man who, as athletics director at Florida, hired Steve Spurrier as coach.

Stat's the fact

There's no denying the presence of Browns running back Trent Richardson, whose rookie impact is being measured against the legendary Jim Brown. The Alabama product, with an AFC-rookie high 869 yards in 13 games, is 73 yards shy of surpassing the franchise rookie rushing mark that Brown set in 1957. He has set the Browns rookie record with three 100-yard games, and his nine rushing TDs tied the franchise rookie standard that Brown established. But let's put this in context. Brown set his marks in a 12-game season and helped Cleveland produce the NFL's best regular-season record (9-2-1) in 1957, en route to the NFL Championship Game. Richardson's team is on a roll and enters Sunday's game against the Redskins with a three-game winning streak, but needs to run the table to finish the season with a .500 record.

Last word

Commissioner Roger Goodell revealed after NFL meetings concluded Wednesday that the league will consider expanding the playoff field to 14 or 16 teams. So there's your 18-game season. The players union has staunchly opposed increasing the season to 18 games, citing the very real toll on their bodies. But NFL owners haven't abandoned that desire, despite trumpeting their emphasis on player health and safety. So adding to the current 12-team playoff pool looks to be the next-best option. Surely, the network partners will buy in, and the revenues an extra round of playoffs would go a long way toward making up for whatever revenues the league would not generate if there's no 18-game season. And there's every incentive for the NFL to have more playoff teams. Think of the added marketing value for teams that make the playoffs, the added drama with even more meaningful games down the stretch. But such rewards would come at the cost of diluting the playoff field. Goodell mentioned a 16-team field -- perhaps floating that to make 14 more palatable -- which would be half the league. Think NBA playoffs. NHL playoffs. Sure, the top seeds would still get playoff bye weeks, but an expanded field on a parity-laced landscape would mean that we'd see more barely .500 teams in the mix. That's a bit too much to stomach. Always thought the regular season was for weeding out the pretenders. But you know what the owners will think: the excitement of ca-ching.